A new size of quilt has come about due to an order from a lady who has two twin beds at home that she thought might look good with a couple of my lady’s quilts on them.

The “TwinFull” quilts! 

Now such a thing isn’t exactly as simple as one might think it is. As I understand it, when a customer places a custom order it’s not like saying “I  want two twin size quilts done in blue’s and gray’s and when will they be finished?”.  Oh no, not that simple at all. First thing that occurs is that the customer must obtain the measurements (length and width) of the bed including(!) the desired drop on either side of the bed added to the width and the “tuck and fold” where the quilt is tucked under the pillow an inch or two and then brought over the top for the finishing touch. These little items add inches and the inches add up. This is what makes the difference when one visits someone who has a hand made quilt custom made to their specifications spread over the bed in the guest room and seeing a the same bed with one of those “comforters in a bag” one can obtain at Walmart for example.

Yes, my lady makes quilts in (her) standard sizes of twin, full, queen and king but her standard sizes  have greater length and width than the industry standard sizes. This is for the very reason stated above and from her years of experience of satisfying her customers and never having a complaint. Having a customer measure their bed for a custom order is to assure a “perfect” fit according to her customers taste. Sometimes a custom quilt in a Long Meadow Farms “standard” size quilt is alright and sometimes the measurements are needed. How my wife judges these things is beyond me but then again…I’m not the quilter here (I built the counter).

Now if you look close at the picture; in the background you’ll see a large poster. This poster was made by the people at NCIC , a company that, among many other things,  provides folks around here who have the mind to start or expand a small business with “micro loans”. To wit:

NCIC was established in 1975 to promote sound development in Northeastern Vermont and Northern New Hampshire.

We are a private, non-profit, community based corporation. NCIC’s goals are to generate and preserve employment and other social and economic benefits for the region by prudent investment of its own resources.

NCIC provides capital and professional assistance for a wide range of business and community development ventures and investments.

Anyway, the point of all this is that Long Meadow Farms Quilts was one of the featured businesses at the NCIC annual business meeting /trade show at the Mountain View Grand Hotel in Whitefield, NH and for each business display, a 24″ X 36″ poster was created by the folks at NCIC and when the show was over, they brought Laurie the poster they made for her quilt shop which now hangs proudly in her workshop behind the quilting table. 

And by the way…the frame of images were made from actual pictures of the quilts she has made over the years. 

Now you may ask if I have any conscience about shamelessly plugging my lady’s business and the answer you will receive is an unqualified NO! I know quality work when I see it and that’s what she does…quality work. There is no shame in promoting that which seems to be slowly disappearing in the “Made In America” end of things. In this age of “throw away” items it’s nice to see people like my wife and the other business owners up here in the north country (and all of Vermont for that matter) still producing quality products that are meant to last.